WARNING: NOT REMOTELY SAFE FOR WORK. SERIOUSLY.
You know what? I thought I was joking about the swastika made of penises.
I sympathize with the OP.
I have one full sleeve. I got it done maybe 30 years ago (or 28, or something like that). Now I wish I hadn’t, but there’s nothing I can do about it.
Luckily, I’m in IT, and nobody really cares. I wear long-sleeved shirts most of the time anyway.
Adaher – I do have the same hairstyle I had in 1985. Long hair, always in a ponytail. Fortunately, no one in IT cares about that either.
I work in IT, and I don’t see tattoos on people. It just depends on where you work and if the position interfaces with real customers, not simply internal ones. But if the OP is concerned about something holding them back, then get it removed, because it’s terrible to go through feeling like you must hide something. Even if you don’t believe the reason to hide it is good or not. I also think psychologically it makes you not pursue things which might be very beneficial to you, which is never a good idea.
I wonder if I would not hire someone if all things being equal because they had visible tattoos. I’d like to think I would not pay attention to it, because to be very honest it’s really none of my business if they got it 30 years ago or why, or last week. It’s their body and I don’t like the idea of people feeling like they have to explain themselves as if it were a conviction. But if the position required them to be very visible to the customer who would have a problem with it, that requires some special considerations. Not that I frequent those places, but if you’re going to work in a strip club as a dancer, you have to have a certain look to appeal to the customers. If you are going to do the sales for the local gym, you can’t be a 300 pound guy who is 5 foot tall and a chain-smoker.
My district manager did the same thing. He wears long sleeve shirts all the time. It is his cost of having had the tattoos, but even people that know about them know he is doing a great job and could care less…now. It is a little odd in 100 degree Florida weather, which is how I asked about them.
When I interview potential employees, I don’t care about tattoos, piercings, facial hair, or non-natural-colored hair color. Or a mohawk. Or hair down to your ass. I want someone who can do the work and who will get along with the team.